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Ordinance Amendment No. 2022-01 - Commercial Cannabis Regulatory and Tax <br />Updates <br />September 20, 2022 <br />Page 9 <br />2 <br />5 <br />0 <br />8 <br />Table 2: Proposed Regulatory Amendments <br />Item Amendment and Impact <br />Temporary <br />Consumption <br />Festivals and Events <br />(SAMC Sec. 40-8) <br />Amendment: <br />Establishes a means by which cannabis retailers may apply to conduct <br />special events that include cannabis sales and consumption. <br />Impacts: <br />•Allows cannabis retailers each to hold up to two (2) temporary <br />consumption events per calendar year. <br />•Allows the City to organize and hold its own festivals. <br />•Activities would be required to satisfy all applicable State licensing, <br />local permitting, environmental and public health, and building and fire <br />safety regulations. <br />•Allows the City to achieve its full revenue-generating potential of the <br />commercial cannabis ordinance. <br />•Maintains Santa Ana’s competitive edge and leadership position <br />within the regional cannabis industry. <br />Various <br />Administrative <br />Amendments for <br />Internal Consistency <br />(SAMC Secs. 40-2, 40- <br />9, 40-9.2, 40-10, and <br />40-100 through 40- <br />108) <br />Amendments: <br />Updates various sections of Chapters 21 and 40 to establish internal <br />consistency in terminology and regulations, update background check <br />requirements, and require plan submittal and opening for all remaining <br />pending cannabis retail businesses. <br />Impacts: <br />•Edits title of Chapter 40 and updates definitions to address <br />amendments described above. <br />•Removes local badge requirements and requires only live scans for <br />business owners. <br />•Updates application selection process for commercial cannabis <br />businesses and addresses consumption lounges. <br />•Modifies various sections to remove references to now-defunct Article <br />XIII of Chapter 18. <br />•Requires all pending medicinal and adult-use retail locations to submit <br />construction plans and open within one year of the effective date of <br />the ordinance. <br />Among the proposed amendments, the number of permitted retail locations and relocation <br />of pending/selected and existing retailers, termination of the Measure BB Waitlist, <br />changes to the buffer requirements from sensitive land uses, and consumption lounges <br />and temporary events represent substantive changes that are described in further detail <br />in the subsections below. These amendments are intended to address evolution in market <br />conditions for cannabis businesses in Santa Ana and maintain the City’s competitive <br />position in the regional cannabis industry.